Arsenal right-back Ben White produced a spectacular performance for the Gunners against Brentford on Saturday evening.
Ben White played a crucial role in ensuring that Arsenal claimed all three points against Brentford at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners were able to claim a 2-1 victory against the Bees which sent them back to the top of the Premier League table for the first time since Christmas. It was a hard-fought victory though, and Mikel Arteta has White to thank for getting the north London club over the line.
In the first half, the defender produced an inch-perfect cross for Declan Rice to nod home. However, the Gunners were pegged back when Yoane Wissa capitalised on a calamitous Aaron Ramsdale error on the stroke of half-time. On what will likely be his final appearance for the club, Ramsdale’s nightmare moment could have had disastrous ramifications.
However, White was once again on hand to deliver at the vital moment. In the 86th minute, the 26-year-old fired another accurate delivery across the box, and this time it was Kai Havertz who was in the right place at the right time to head into the back of the net.
Havertz will grab the headlines for keeping his extraordinary recent goalscoring form going in a player of the match performance, but White’s contribution to this win should not be forgotten.
Ben White up there with Samir Nasri and Nicolas Pepe as an Arsenal creator
White has looked “revitalised” since Arsenal’s mid-season trip to Dubai, and this performance provided yet another example of how important he is to Arteta’s team at both ends of the pitch.
White took his tally of Premier League assists for the season to four. In total, the England international has now set up nine goals for his Arsenal teammates in the Premier League since his arrival at the Emirates Stadium in the summer of 2021.
As reported by Orbinho on X, in terms of Premier League assists for Arsenal, White has now surpassed Samir Nasri, who provided eight goals for teammates. It was also revealed that White has now drawn level with Nicolas Pepe, who also set up teammates on nine occasions in his time with the Gunners.
This information sheds light on just how impressive White has been going forwards at Arsenal, and it is worth remembering that he spent his first season with the club playing as a centre-back. It is something of a surprise to see him ahead of the likes of Nasri in terms of assists, as the Frenchman was a fantastic attacking talent, but that just means that White is due more credit. It also adds more evidence to the argument that White is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League right now.
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